| M*A*S*H | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
clockwise: Loretta Swit, Alan Alda, McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, 1972.
| |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 17, 1972 (1972-09-17) – March 25, 1973 (1973-03-25) |
| Season chronology | |
Next → | |
| List of episodes | |
The first season of M*A*S*H premiered on September 17, 1972 on CBS and concluded its 24-episode season on March 25, 1973. This season aired Sundays at 8:00–8:30 pm on CBS.
The following six actors were listed in the opening credits:
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Alan Alda | Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce |
| Wayne Rogers | Capt. "Trapper" John MacIntyre |
| McLean Stevenson | Lt. Col. Henry Blake |
| Loretta Swit | Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan |
| Larry Linville | Maj. Frank "Ferret Face" Burns |
| Gary Burghoff | Cpl. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly |
The first season of M*A*S*H also had a very large number of recurring characters:
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Patrick Adiarte | Ho-Jon ‡ |
| Timothy Brown | Capt. 'Spearchucker' Jones ‡ |
| Odessa Cleveland | Lt. Ginger Bayliss |
| Jamie Farr | Cpl. Maxwell Klinger |
| Bonnie Jones | Lt. Barbara Bannerman ‡ |
| Bruno Kirby (pilot only) and Bob Gooden | Pvt. Lorenzo Boone ‡ |
| Linda Meiklejohn | Lt. Leslie Scorch |
| George Morgan (pilot only) and William Christopher | Lt. Father Francis Mulcahy |
| John Orchard | Capt. 'Ugly John' Black ‡ |
| Karen Philipp | Lt. Maggie Dish ‡ |
| Marcia Strassman | Lt. Margie Cutler ‡ |
| Herb Voland | Brg. Gen. Crandell Clayton |
| G. Wood | Brig. Gen. Hamilton Hammond ‡ |
Characters marked with the symbol '‡' were seen only during the first season, and were written out of the show without explanation.
| No. overall | No.in season | Title [n 1] | Directed by [n 2] | Written by [n 2] | Original air date | Prod. code [n 3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Gene Reynolds | Larry Gelbart | September 17, 1972 (1972-09-17) | J-301 |
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Timeline 1950: Army surgeons Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) and Trapper MacIntyre (Wayne Rogers) hold a raffle to raise tuition for the Swamp's Korean houseboy while their commanding officer Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) is away. The prize is a weekend with nurse Lt. Dish. To keep Major Frank Burns out of the way, he is sedated. This episode features George Morgan in his only appearance as Father Mulcahy.
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| 2 | 2 | "To Market, to Market" | Michael O'Herlihy | Burt Styler | September 24, 1972 (1972-09-24) | J-303 |
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Hawkeye and Trapper get into black marketing for medical supplies and offer Henry's antique oak desk as payment, after the supplies are hijacked. Episode features Jack Soo, who would later appear in the series Barney Miller.
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| 3 | 3 | "Requiem for a Lightweight" | Hy Averback | Robert Klane | October 1, 1972 (1972-10-01) | J-308 |
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Trapper goes into the boxing ring against another unit's thug in a deal with Henry to keep a nurse, Lt. Cutler at the 4077th. Hawkeye comes up with a plan to equal the odds. Frank tries to upset Hawkeye's plan but it backfires. This episode marks the first appearance of William Christopher as Father Francis Mulcahy.
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| 4 | 4 | "Chief Surgeon Who?" | E.W. Swackhamer | Larry Gelbart | October 8, 1972 (1972-10-08) | J-307 |
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Hawkeye is named chief surgeon of the 4077th, to the great chagrin of Frank Burns and Margaret Houlihan. Jamie Farr is introduced as the cross-dressing Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger. Sorrell Booke, later star in The Dukes of Hazzard, plays the visiting general. William Christopher does not appear in this episode.
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| 5 | 5 | "The Moose" | Hy Averback | Laurence Marks | October 15, 1972 (1972-10-15) | J-305 |
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Hawkeye and Trapper plot to free a Korean girl from serving a GI. Larry Linville, Loretta Swit and William Christopher do not appear in this episode.
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| 6 | 6 | "Yankee Doodle Doctor" | Lee Philips | Laurence Marks | October 22, 1972 (1972-10-22) | J-310 |
|
Hawkeye declares a filmmaker's documentary about the 4077th to be propaganda and decides to make his own, with characters based on Groucho Marx and Harpo Marx. Ed Flanders, later star of St. Elsewhere, plays the filmmaker. William Christopher does not appear in this episode.
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| 7 | 7 | "Bananas, Crackers and Nuts" | Bruce Bilson | Burt Styler | November 5, 1972 (1972-11-05) | J-311 |
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Hawkeye goes crazier than usual when he doesn't get his R&R, so a shrink (Stuart Margolin) is brought in to examine him. William Christopher does not appear in this episode.
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| 8 | 8 | "Cowboy" | Don Weis | Robert Klane | November 12, 1972 (1972-11-12) | J-309 |
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A series of so-called "accidents" makes it clear that someone wants Henry dead. Loretta Swit does not appear in this episode.
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| 9 | 9 | "Henry, Please Come Home" | William Wiard | Laurence Marks | November 19, 1972 (1972-11-19) | J-302 |
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Henry gets transferred to softer duty as a reward for the 4077th's high efficiency rating, but Hawkeye and Trapper scheme to bring him back once they realize Frank will be the replacement commanding officer. Loretta Swit does not appear in this episode.
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| 10 | 10 | "I Hate a Mystery" | Hy Averback | Hal Dresner | November 26, 1972 (1972-11-26) | J-306 |
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Hawkeye is the prime suspect in a series of thefts at the 4077th.
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| 11 | 11 | "Germ Warfare" | Terry Becker | Larry Gelbart | December 10, 1972 (1972-12-10) | J-304 |
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Hawkeye and Trapper take a sample of Frank's blood while he's sleeping, but the recipient starts showing signs of hepatitis. William Christopher does not appear in this episode.
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| 12 | 12 | "Dear Dad" | Gene Reynolds | Larry Gelbart | December 17, 1972 (1972-12-17) | J-313 |
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It's Christmas time at the 4077th, and Hawkeye is writing a letter to his father about the activities at the camp.
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| 13 | 13 | "Edwina" | James Sheldon | Hal Dresner | December 24, 1972 (1972-12-24) | J-312 |
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The nurses declare themselves off-limits until their colleague Edwina (Arlene Golonka), an incurable klutz, gets a date with one of the soldiers – and Hawkeye is it. William Christopher does not appear in this episode.
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| 14 | 14 | "Love Story" | Earl Bellamy | Laurence Marks | January 7, 1973 (1973-01-07) | J-314 |
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Radar receives a "Dear John" letter, then seeks advice from Hawkeye when he falls for a nurse (Kelly Jean Peters) with a taste for the classics. William Christopher does not appear in this episode.
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| 15 | 15 | "Tuttle" | William Wiard | Bruce Shelly & David Ketchum | January 14, 1973 (1973-01-14) | J-315 |
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Hawkeye and Trapper invent an imaginary captain to cover their donations to an orphanage. This episode marks the only time the character "Sparky," with whom Radar frequently communicates by phone, is actually seen on screen. He's portrayed by Dennis Fimple. Bruce Shelly and David Ketchum received a Writers Guild Award nomination for this episode.
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| 16 | 16 | "The Ringbanger" | Jackie Cooper | Jerry Mayer | January 21, 1973 (1973-01-21) | J-316 |
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While a colonel with a high casualty record (Leslie Nielsen) is recovering in post-op, Hawkeye and Trapper conspire to keep him out of action. William Christopher does not appear in this episode.
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| 17 | 17 | "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" | William Wiard | Carl Kleinschmitt | January 28, 1973 (1973-01-28) | J-318 |
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Hawkeye's emotions run high when an old friend (James Callahan) comes to Korea to write a book about the war; meanwhile, a private (Ron Howard) turns out to have faked his age to enlist. Carl Kleinschmitt received a Writers Guild Award nomination for this episode.
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| 18 | 18 | "Dear Dad...Again" | Jackie Cooper | Sheldon Keller & Larry Gelbart | February 4, 1973 (1973-02-04) | J-317 |
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Hawkeye writes another letter to his father detailing incidents at the 4077th. Note: In the conclusion of his letter, Hawkeye asks his father to give his mother and sister a kiss, but later in the series Hawkeye is said to be an only child and his mother is deceased.
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| 19 | 19 | "The Long-John Flap" | William Wiard | Alan Alda | February 18, 1973 (1973-02-18) | J-319 |
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A pair of long-johns sent to Hawkeye by his father becomes a hot commodity at the 4077th during a cold snap, as they're passed from person to person.
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| 20 | 20 | "The Army-Navy Game" | Gene Reynolds | Story by : McLean Stevenson Teleplay by : Sid Dorfman | February 25, 1973 (1973-02-25) | J-322 |
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The 4077th gears up for the annual Army-Navy game until an unexploded shell hits the compound. Note: The first of three consecutive episodes that would feature a 'jazzier' version of the opening theme song Suicide is Painless. After that, the theme would return to the more familiar version.
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| 21 | 21 | "Sticky Wicket" | Don Weis | Story by : Richard Baer Teleplay by : Laurence Marks and Larry Gelbart | March 4, 1973 (1973-03-04) | J-321 |
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Hawkeye obsesses over a patient who isn't recovering as expected.
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| 22 | 22 | "Major Fred C. Dobbs" | Don Weis | Sid Dorfman | March 11, 1973 (1973-03-11) | J-320 |
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Hawkeye and Trapper's constant pranks finally prompt Frank to request a transfer. That is, until he hears rumors about gold in the hills near the camp.
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| 23 | 23 | "Ceasefire" | Earl Bellamy | Story by : Robert Klane Teleplay by : Laurence Marks & Larry Gelbart | March 18, 1973 (1973-03-18) | J-323 |
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An unconfirmed report of the war ending sparks celebrations, but Trapper is the sole doubter.
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| 24 | 24 | "Showtime" | Jackie Cooper | Story by : Larry Gelbart Teleplay by : Robert Klane & Larry Gelbart | March 25, 1973 (1973-03-25) | J-324 |
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The 4077th go through various dramas while a traveling USO troupe arrives to provide entertainment.
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